What makes us different?

EAP vs. OTHER CONDITIONING COMPANIES

Athlete A was able to squat close to 800lbs for 1RM and has a useable force (i.e. the average force that can produced at any given time) of 70% or 560lbs. Athlete A can produce this force, in about 1.5 sec.

Athlete B squat can squat the same, but can produce a useable force (i.e. 560lbs) in about 1.1 sec.

The question is, which Athlete is better suited for the rigors of athletic competition? If you responded with Athlete B, you are correct, and here’s why:

What do you work on first or do you work on two things concurrently? – As a conditioning coach, do you can learn to identify and correct weaknesses in an athlete (i.e. regeneration, flexibility, mobility, strength, elasticity & precision neuromuscular conditioning) or do you build on the athletes’ strengths? The answer is, there is fine overlap between the two perspectives. At EAP we definitely identify weaknesses, but at the same time we continue to work on the strengths, in such a way that the weakness, eventually take care of themselves via an indirect approach in conditioning and regenerative methodology.

“Given the opportunity, the body always moves towards efficiency (i.e. performing the same amount of work, in the shortest period of time with the least bit of energy expended) & better health”

Most conditioning programs create disconnect, between the Central Nervous System and soft-tissue of all types (i.e. visceral organs, ligaments, tendons, muscle, bone, nerves, lymphatic fluid, heart and lungs). The internet is all too saturated with athletes pounding out big weights or jumping on high boxes, only to obtain “gold medals” in the conditioning arena but very little performance on the field, not to mention the increased injury potential associated with their chosen method(s) of conditioning. All in all, these methods can potentially complicate and/or worsen an already fragile Nervous System.

The body always tries to recruit other parts of the whole, in order to facilitate more efficient movement, this is to say, muscles co-operate with one another (i.e. intra- & intermuscular co-ordination). The pattern of recruitment largely depends upon sensory perception a.k.a. Proprioception, and underlying tension patterns. Conditioning, or developing strength, for the sake of developing strength will definitely make an athlete ‘stronger’, but unfortunately will not translate in better performance, unless that strength is integrated, or developed proportionately to their overall speed and tendon elasticity.

Minute tissue restrictions, if present globally, can negate high performance and increase injury potential, via the improper recruitment of muscle patterning. Minute nervous system and soft-tissue adjustments are made after inadequate rehab of soft-tissue injuries. Overtime, the body ‘builds’ around this dysfunction, as a protective method, to accommodate such tissue distortion, most of which, is at a sub-sensory level, until improper loading or counterproductive training methods (i.e. ‘the right exercise at the wrong time’) are presented to the body, and now it is again ‘forced’ to adapt to the new conditioning stimulus. Recognizing these old tissue distortions and counterproductive movement patterns is vital to a integrated approach to conditioning. This is why EAP ensures that proper conditioning and regeneration, are positively addressing this faulty recruitment, thus circumventing old injuries, decreasing injury potential and ultimately resulting in better performance with less effort, an in the shortest period of time.

Today’s training programs are both intentionally and unintentionally misguiding most athletes – “Doing the Right Exercises at the Wrong time”. Perhaps our current infatuation with the body comes from the ancient Greeks emphasized a well developed proportioned body, hence the phrase anima sana in corpore sano which translates as “in sound mind, in sound body”. The evidence for this was in their statues, pottery and mosaics from 530BC to 400BC. Modern man has ‘bastardized’ this vision, to the point of focusing far more on aesthetics, and not enough on function in the arena of sport.

At the elite level, the fascial system, which is intimately tied to the Central Nervous System, process a vast amount of outside stimuli from a network of proprioceptive areas in the body (eyes, ears, skin, feet, jaw alignment). This information is relayed back to the various soft-tissues in the musculoskeletal system (i.e. ligaments, tendons, joints and muscles) amongst others, to co-ordinate an appropriate response. This is by in large how movement is obtained, and has been like this since man was on this planet. Early man a.k.a. Palaeolithic Man, spent much of his time hunting and gathering, common sense would tell us, that he was much more active than his later counter parts – modern man. He also was barefoot, jumped, sprinted for his prey or had to do so to evade becoming quarry, lifted heavy objects, threw a spear, climbed a tree, crawled – often under duress an under unstable conditions. Thus, in order to maintain survival, he would have developed a superior proprioceptive system, as well as the structure (i.e. dense connective tissue), that was able to re-act favourably during unfamiliar settings. Modern man is the counter entices of this, he spends much of his time not having to hunt nor gather food, nor even run for a bus. Much of our lives have been relegated to technological advancements. We drive more than we walk. There is very little need during a course of a day, let alone during a week, for us to even sprint. Our sedentary lives have made us proprioceptively dead. Thus limiting our ability to access a higher degree of physical intelligence, that was once a natural part of survival for Palaeolithic Man. The question remains: “How do we obtain even a fraction of this physical reality, without having to live like a caveman?” The reality is that we have:

Over 300,000 certified trainers following the ideas & concepts found in over 50,000 books on training & diet. We buy over 3 billion dollars worth of sporting goods. We join the over 20,000 gyms to spend over 5 billion hours working out, wearing athletic clothing and shoes that cost well over 13 billion dollars each year. Yet we are less fit, more over weight than we were 100 years. Let us not confuse living longer with longevity. The former refers to just having a long life, with the absence of quality, where as the latter refers to a life well lived – Quality.

“We may be know more about fitness, but yet we are less fit”

The problem is how we define fitness. If at 40 years of age you could still participate in the sports you once played when you were in your teens, you are still “FIT”. However, if you are relegated to “darts” at your local pub…I beg to differ with your “FITNESS”. The same applies to athletic conditioning. Much of the athletic conditioning world focuses on exercise as an end in itself, rather than viewing exercise as a means to an end. In other words, use exercise as a tool to achieve better performance and not ‘medals in the weight room’. Most of what we at EAP have seen, does not address the design of the human body. We have spend the last decade or so, heavily influenced by both the body building & powerlifting realms, only to adopt another extreme – Olympic lifting, hoping to see it translates in to better performance. Yet all we, at EAP, have seen is more injuries sustained either from inappropriate conditioning methodology and/or from the sport itself. People in general, gravitate to the extremes, but rarely come back to the middle. Staying at the periphery too long will stifle growth. The greatest growth comes from the middle. Therefore, conditioning programs that focus one training element at the exclusion of others or spend far too much time in one area, will not reap great results.

“The extremes define the middle. One can not stay at the extremes to long at the expense of the other extreme. This will only diminish the middle. The middle ground is where the greatest growth occurs”

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Testimonials

I have done consulting work with Yusuf and have referred him to various consulting contracts in the field of exercise planning for competition in sports… In addition Yusuf has occasionally assisted me in the instruction of my class in the Theory and Methodology of Training at York University. Yusuf has excellent strength and conditioning specialists.

Dr. Tudor BompaPh.D.Toronto

Yusuf worked with our national swimmers in the area of strength, flexibility and power training. They also did training sessions with our coaching staff and clinics with our parent body. The learning curve that our staff went through as well as the improvements by our National swimmers was tremendous. Our club is the largest swim

Athletes and coaches are constantly seeking methods to maximize performance. It has been my experience that the best methods and techniques come from the trainers who think outside of the box. These trainers are the true pioneers pushing the boundaries of human limits. Yusuf Omar is one of these select few. I have personally experienced

Yusuf has consulted with me in the fields of over-training, detraining, monitoring, and regeneration. In addition, I have worked with Yusuf in the development of videos regarding off-ice conditioning for hockey players, and have invited him to guest lecture for me on two occasions in my course on Coaching Selected Topics offered at York University…I

Dr. Dave Chambers. Ph.D. – Professor at York University specializing in Elite Coaching Methodology.Professor at York University specializing in Elite Coaching Methodology.

As the head coach for Etobicoke Energy, I was introduced to Yusuf Omar through a parent or one of our players during a time when we are looking to add a specialized conditioning element to our existing girls soccer program. His academic credentials and hands on experience in high level can performance conditioning are impressive.

Tony D’AmatoHead Coach Etobicoke Energy Soccer Club OYSL Girls U14

Yusuf has worked with me as a high performance conditioning & regeneration specialist, and has helped me maintain peak condition as a competitive sprinter. Working with Yusuf, my times have dropped from 10.56 sec to 10.10 in less than 4 weeks, with proper nutrition, regeneration and speed training. He is very capable and knowledgeable specialist

Antonio Williams 100m Sprinter Bahamian National Team

Yusuf has a unique understanding that we weren’t able to find in any therapist or doctor. Also, Yusuf works on fixing problems not just a “Band-Aid” approach.

Rachel G.800m competitor, currently competing for USC

My son went to Yusuf Omar in 2011 when he was 15 years old. He had suffered a reoccurring ankle problem, which had been going on for about 6 months. Prior to this he had been to a physiotherapist, a chiropractor and a sports medicine doctor. Their diagnosis altered from a chronic sprained ankle to

Laurie CampbellCEO Credit Canada Debt Solutions

There is no doubt Yusuf has a gift. He worked with my son after he sustained a concussion in a hockey game. He brought my son to a state of normality, which we thought he would never get back. He genuinely cares about his patient’s well being and consistently asked about his progress. I recommend

Marisa Duarte

A close friend of mine works with Yusuf, and has had great improvements while there and suggested that I contact the System. During the assessment I could see the knowledge base and experience, which is most important for me. The things that impress me most about Yusuf is his Knowledge base, experience, and him having

C. RamasraProfessional Squash Athlete

I have been working with The System for approximately 4 months. A friend recommended me to The System and at first I was skeptical but after speaking with Yusuf I realized that everything he does aims to better me as an athlete as well as a better person. And even after a few weeks I

Marcus Jabari400m Sprinter

Over several years of receiving therapy from many different physio and massage therapists, Yusuf has been the only one able to give me lasting results. Yusuf has been able to address the root cause of my recurring sport injuries in order to allow me to train better and more effectively.

Matt L.

My name is Troy Dos Santos and I’m a former professional track and field athlete at the National and International level. I have been working with The System for about 10 months to improve my condition (I was diagnosed with Concussion Syndrome) and eliminate my injuries with hopes of competing again at a high level.

Troy Dos SantosFormer Canadian National Team Member Sprints & Elite Performance Enhancement Specialist

On December of 1999, I had the rare privilege of integrating as a professional soccer coach the Ben Johnson International Team a group of professionals that also included Mike Hollis a nutritionist, Yusuf Omar Regeneration/ Planning & Conditioning Specialist. Our mission was to provide services to North African National Soccer Team with a comprehensive program,

Armando CostaLicensed FIFA Coach

He’s a genius! I’ve known Yusuf since I was 14yrs old. As a young aspiring cyclist, he took me under his wing a taught me what real training is all about. His views on training and recovery are unparalleled and I started producing results very quickly winning races in my age category. In 2012 I

My training partner Troy Dos Santos highly recommended Yusuf. What I find unique about Yusuf’s program is he has specific sport over sight that he can administer into the rehab and re-conditioning training. He also has vast level of knowledge that has helped me become more aware of how to train more effectively helping improve

Mike WhitelyLong Jumper (best performance 7.60m)

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